Overview: maintenance therapy in psychiatry: I. Schizophrenia
Abstract
Hospital psychiatry has evolved from long-term "treatment" programs that were primarily custodial to the successful pharmacological treatment of acute psychotic episodes. Unfortunately, many patients still return to the hospital with relapses. This so-called revolving door syndrome draws attention to the critical importance of preventing as well as treating acute episodes. In the first part of this overview, the author reviews the clinical literature on prophylactic treatment of schizophrenia with maintenance antipsychotic drugs. The second part will review the literature on prophylactic treatment of affective disorders with lithium and tricyclics. In the opinion of the author these drugs provide the potential for truly preventive psychiatry.
Access content
To read the fulltext, please use one of the options below to sign in or purchase access.- Personal login
- Institutional Login
- Sign in via OpenAthens
- Register for access
-
Please login/register if you wish to pair your device and check access availability.
Not a subscriber?
PsychiatryOnline subscription options offer access to the DSM-5 library, books, journals, CME, and patient resources. This all-in-one virtual library provides psychiatrists and mental health professionals with key resources for diagnosis, treatment, research, and professional development.
Need more help? PsychiatryOnline Customer Service may be reached by emailing [email protected] or by calling 800-368-5777 (in the U.S.) or 703-907-7322 (outside the U.S.).